Bidens plant named ‘BID 719’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bidens  plant named ‘BID 719’, characterized by its semi-upright, outwardly spreading to somewhat trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BID 719’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bidens plant, botanically known as Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BID 719’.

The new Bidens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Bolzano, Italy. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Bidens plants with attractive inflorescences with numerous ray florets.

The new Bidens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Bolzano, Italy in 2007 of an unnamed selection of Bidens triplinervia, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Bidens ferulifolia ‘Peters Goldteppich’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,880, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bidens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Bolzano, Italy in August, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bidens by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Bolzano, Italy since November, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Bidens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Bidens have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BID 719’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BID 719’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Bidens plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright, outwardly spreading to somewhat trailing plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets.     -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and         beyond the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Bidens differ from plants of the female parent, the unnamed selection of Bidens triplinervia, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens have larger and darker green-colored         leaves than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bidens have more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Bidens differ from plants of the male parent, ‘Peters Goldteppich’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Young plants of the new Bidens are more upright than young         plants of ‘Peters Goldteppich’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bidens have more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Peters Goldteppich’.

Plants of the new Bidens can be compared to plants of ‘Bidcomtis’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,326. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bolzano, Italy, plants of the new Bidens differed from plants of ‘Bidcomtis’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Young plants of the new Bidens were more upright than young         plants of ‘Bidcomtis’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bidens had more ray         florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bidcomtis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Bidens plant. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bidens plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BID 719’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BID 719’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Bonsall, Calif. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Bidens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 26° C. to 29° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 21° C. and light levels ranged from 8,000 to 10,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time and were about 25 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia     ‘BID 719’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Bidens triplinervia, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Bidens ferulifolia ‘Peters Goldteppich’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,880. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at 16° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 18 days             at 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 21 days             at 16° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Semi-upright, outwardly spreading             to somewhat trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit;             freely branching habit with about six to eight primary             lateral branches, each primary lateral branch with numerous             lateral branches.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 61 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 37 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 4 cm to 5 cm. Aspect: Upright,             outwardly spreading or bending outwardly. Strength: Strong;             flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly deltoid; pinnatisect.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Deeply incised.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,             close to N137C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 146C.         -   Petiole length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper surface.—Sparse pubescence.         -   Petiole texture, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and flowering habit.—Solitary rotate composite             inflorescences that are either terminal or axillary;             inflorescences are positioned above and beyond the foliar             plane on strong peduncles; inflorescences face upright to             outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 250             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower continuously from spring until the fall in Southern             California; plants begin flowering about ten weeks after             planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Individual inflorescences last             about one week on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 15B with longitudinal             stripes, close to 145A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 4 cm. Depth             (height): About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 147A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About nine two-parted ray             florets arranged in a single whorl; due to the two-parted             structure of the ray floret, the ray florets appear to be             arranged in a double whorl; the longer and broader outer             part of the ray floret cups upwardly and outwardly with a             recurved apex; the shorter and narrower inner part of the             ray floret is mostly upright and located adjacent to the             disc. Length, outer part of ray floret: About 2.1 cm. Width,             outer part of ray floret: About 1.8 cm. Length, inner part             of ray floret: About 1.9 cm. Width, inner part of ray             floret: About 4 mm. Shape, outer part of ray floret:             Obovate. Shape, inner part of ray floret: Oblanceolate.             Apex, outer and inner parts of ray floret: Emarginate. Base,             outer and inner parts of ray floret: Fused. Margin, outer             and inner parts of ray floret: Entire. Texture, outer and             inner parts of ray floret, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Color, outer and inner parts of ray             florets: When opening, upper surface: Close to 15A. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 15C; fine longitudinal             stripes, close to 145B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 13B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 13C; fine             longitudinal stripes, close to 145B.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 86 massed at the             center of the receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, immature: Apex: Close to N170B.             Mid-section: Close to 153C. Base: Close to 145B. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 7A. Mid-section: Close to 151D. Base:             Close to 145C to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity/arrangement: About 18 arranged in two             whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncles: About 6.4 cm. Length,             axillary peduncles: About 7.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Aspect, terminal peduncles:             Upright. Aspect, axillary peduncles: About 45° from vertical             and curving upwardly. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Filament length: About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to             145B. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Close to 200A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 21A.         -   Gynoecium.—Quantity per disc floret: One. Pistil length:             About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             15A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: Close to 153D.             Ovary color: Close to 145D. -   Fruits/seeds: Fruit and seed development have not been observed on     plants of the new Bidens. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bidens have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Bidens. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Bidens have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 2° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Bidens plant named ‘BID 719’ as illustrated and described. 